Chapter 888: Extra 5: Marriage Proposal (Part 3) Chapter 888: Extra 5: Marriage Proposal (Part 3) In the following days, Jiang Feng acted quite normally.

So normal that even Wang Hao, who couldn’t keep a secret to save his life, spread the significant news that Jiang Feng was planning to propose to Wu Minqi. This caused everyone at Taifeng Building to doubt the credibility of Wang’s “reliable” news.

When it came to gossip, Wang Hao was all about quantity over quality. He shared plenty, but many were subpar and watered down compared to Pei Shenghua’s quality scoops.

On the day of the proposal–
Ji Yue had been observing Jiang Feng for several days.

During these days, Jiang Feng, as always, holed up in the kitchen as soon as he arrived at the Taifeng Building, practicing Buddha’s Jumping Over the Wall. Jiang Feng’s progress learning the dish was much faster than Sun Jikai’s, who was still at the basic stage of practicing with individual ingredients; Jiang Feng could already produce a fairly qualified dish.

Since Jiang Feng had been able to complete a dish, the fragrance of Buddha’s Jumping Over the Wall constantly wafted from the kitchen. Sometimes the scent was faint, sometimes it was strong. Ji Yue remembered once guessing the dish must have turned out exceptionally well; even though the kitchen doors were tightly closed, the aroma seemed to grow legs, desperately squeezing out. Not only did the waiters in the lobby drool over it, but the dining patrons also salivated so much that they ate several more bowls of rice than usual.

Today, the aroma was particularly strong.

After lunch, Jiang Feng, as usual, slipped into the kitchen to monitor his Buddha’s Jumping Over the Wall. Three days had passed since Wang Hao declared that Jiang Feng would propose within two days, so Ji Yue and others had written off the news as false. They planned to have a serious talk with Wang Hao the next time they saw him, telling him not to bring every spoiled and hollow melon to them, only for them to discover it was just air inside.

At this time, Jiang Feng was alone in the kitchen.

Even Sun Jikai, who had been diligently practicing his cooking skills, needed a break after lunch to chat, snack on some gossip, and unwind before he could joyously plunge back into the painful culinary practice.

Smelling the intermittent aroma of Buddha’s Jumping Over the Wall from the kitchen, Ji Yue felt that today’s lunch had been in vain–he was already craving another meal.

“Have you guys noticed how especially fragrant Jiang Feng’s Buddha’s Jumping Over the Wall is today? It’s only this early and the smell is already so strong. If we were to lift the lid, it’d be overwhelming,” Ji Yue said as he sat about ten meters away from the kitchen’s back door, still holding his phone, with the TV show playing as usual, but his eyes fixed intently on the tightly closed kitchen door.

“He really put his heart into this batch. It’s been over twenty-four hours since he started preparing it last night, and it should be almost done,” said Sun Jikai, glancing at the time.

Since the Buddha’s Jumping Over the Wall was practice, Jiang Feng naturally didn’t make a large vat for sale. He used a small pot, the same one that Sun Zheran had once asked Sun Guanyun to deliver to Jiang Weiguo. He only made about half a pot each time, and the actual amount served was just a small bowl. With Jiang Jiankang’s appetite, it was gone in a few bites, so others hardly got to taste it, only the two elders, Sun Maochai and Jiang Feng could eat it.

“Is his Buddha’s Jumping Over the Wall almost perfected? I feel like the dish he’s made these past few days smells even more delicious than what’s sold at the Eight-treasure House,” Ji Yue remarked.

Indeed, the Eight-treasure House, a well-known restaurant in Beiping that was at the forefront of making money, sold roast duck along with a not-so-authentic Buddha’s Jumping Over the Wall.

Of course, “not-so-authentic” is relative; the chef responsible for Buddha’s Jumping Over the Wall at the Eight-treasure House had also been poached from the south by Ling Guangzhao.

“It should be almost ready,” Ji Xue and Sun Jikai said in unison.

Generally, Ji Xue didn’t participate in everyone’s gossiping. She carried too much burden, mostly debt, and the immense pressure from her debts made her uninterested in anything beyond earning money and family. It was only because this gossip session centered around Jiang Feng’s proposal that she joined in, cheekily dubbed by Ji Yue as her first time biting into a counterfeit melon.

Ji Yue inhaled the aroma of Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall and glanced at the less appealing TV drama, letting out a deep sigh.

“Ah.”

“I think the chances of us seeing Jiang Feng propose are slim to none, you see his reactions these past few days, he doesn’t seem like he’s going to propose at all, the way he’s going on, he’d rather propose to the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall in the kitchen.” Ji Yue said with a look of frustrated resignation.

“Actually, it’s understandable. He’s almost mastered Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, so his focus is definitely on that now. Even if he were to propose, it wouldn’t be right now.” Sun Jikai, a Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall struggler, had something to say.

Just as they were talking, the kitchen door suddenly opened.

Jiang Feng came out, scanned the lobby, and particularly looked at Ji Yue’s table twice; not seeing the person he was looking for, he went straight up and asked.

“Ji Gezi, where’s Qiqi?” Jiang Feng asked.

“A batch of fresh seafood has just arrived, Mrs. Wang wasn’t quite sure about the quality, so she took Zhang and Qiqi with her to check it. They left more than half an hour ago and should be back soon.” Ji Yue said, “What’s up, you need something from your Qiqi?”

“Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall will be ready soon, it’s good today and I wanted Qiqi to try it.” There was no way Jiang Feng could say today’s proposal dish was good and he was looking for the proposal target.

“I’ll give Zhang a call for you, he’s driving anyway, I’ll tell him to speed it up.” Ji Yue said as she made a voice call to Zhang Guanghang, who said he would be at Taifeng Building within ten minutes.

Jiang Feng nodded and went back to the kitchen.

Ji Yue continued watching TV.

Ji Xue, who had been quiet throughout, looked at Ji Yue, then at Sun Jikai, and back at the closed kitchen door, feeling something was odd.

Was she the only one who felt that Jiang Feng suddenly wanting Wu Minqi to taste Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall was a bit off?

“Don’t you guys feel there’s something not quite right?” Ji Xue timidly asked.

“Where?” Ji Yue looked up.

“If Jiang Feng thought the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall was particularly good, he could have just asked Grandpa Jiang or Master Sun to taste it. Why did he look for Qiqi first?” Ji Xue said.

“Didn’t Sun Jikai just say that Jiang Feng had almost mastered it? Feeling particularly good about what he made today, he probably wanted his girlfriend to taste it to show off his cooking skills, isn’t that very normal? Sometimes Zhang does the same; he lets me taste whatever good dish he’s made.” Ji Yue didn’t see anything amiss.

“Is that so?” Ji Xue still felt something was off.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall was indeed almost ready.

Jiang Feng was facing another dilemma.

Where should I put the ring?

Jiang Feng held the ring he had just taken from the prop column, fretting over the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall on the stove.

When Han Guishan proposed, Cao Guixiang could layer some vegetables over the duck and then place the ring on top which looks quite nice.

Now it was his turn to propose, with a pot of Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, where could he put the ring?

On top of the pot?

That design would be too ugly, and completely contrary to Jiang Feng’s expert plating aesthetics.

Inside the pot?

What if Minqi swallowed it without noticing, since you don’t chew Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall.

He had previously only thought about how to propose and mentally prepared for it but never considered how to produce the ring during the proposal.

As Jiang Feng was agonizing over this, the door opened.

Wu Minqi pushed the door and entered.

“Fengfeng, Yue just told me you were looking for me,” Wu Minqi walked straight toward Jiang Feng.

In a panic, Jiang Feng slipped the ring onto his own finger.

“She said you wanted me to taste the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, is it ready?” Wu Minqi approached Jiang Feng, who instinctively tucked his hand into his sleeve.

Luckily, it was cold and he was wearing long sleeves, otherwise, in summer Jiang Feng would have had no sleeve to hide in.

“It’s ready,” Jiang Feng said, reaching out to get the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall from the stove.

Of course, the hand with the ring stayed in the sleeve.

Wu Minqi: ?

“This…” Wu Minqi pointed at Jiang Feng’s hand tucked in his sleeve, looking baffled.

“Hot,” Jiang Feng said succinctly.

Wu Minqi: ?

So, why not use a cloth?

Carrying the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall from the stove to a small table in the back kitchen covered only a two-meter distance and took about a dozen seconds. After setting it down, Jiang Feng also moved a chair for Wu Minqi, gesturing for her to eat it there.

He dared not serve the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall outside, fearing that if he proposed there surrounded by Ji Gezi’s group, Jiang Feng might get so nervous he’d say something wrong.

Now, he felt the ring on his finger ice-cold, cold to the point his back was covered in sweat, cold enough to quicken his heartbeat wildly, its sound clearly audible.

Wu Minqi didn’t notice anything unusual, as tasting dishes always happened in the kitchen, whether it was Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall or spicy sour shredded potato.

Jiang Feng stretched out a hand and lifted the lid.

The aroma wafted everywhere.

It was an even stronger smell of deliciousness than the previous days’, like a rushing river flowing from the kitchen to the lobby in just a few seconds, impossible to ignore.

As Wu Minqi gazed at the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall in front of her and took a deep breath,
everyone in the lobby who smelled the aroma did the same.

It was so fragrant.

Fragrant enough that, despite knowing they couldn’t afford it and risking eating dirt next month too, they still longed for a portion of it.

Enough fragrance to boost the per capita GDP!

“Fengfeng, what you made today is really…” Wu Minqi momentarily didn’t know how to describe the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall in front of her.

She hadn’t eaten an authentic version before but felt as if she had from today.

“Try it quickly and let me know how it is,” Jiang Feng replied with a smile.

“Later, I have something else to tell you.”

The hand that had initially been tucked in the sleeve stealthily peeked out again.

“Hmm.” Wu Minqi smiled and nodded, picking up a spoon from the table.